Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an element manufacturing method and element manufacturing apparatus for forming elements on a substrate that continuously extends.
Background Art
Processes in manufacturing such elements as organic semiconductor elements and inorganic semiconductor elements are performed generally under a vacuum environment to prevent impurities from entering the elements. For example, thin film deposition techniques under the vacuum environment, such as sputtering, vapor deposition, or other techniques are used as a method for forming cathodic electrodes, anodic electrodes, and semiconductor layers on a substrate. The vacuum environment is provided by using a vacuum pump or other means to evacuate the inside of an element manufacturing apparatus for a predetermined time.
In the manufacturing processes for the above elements, various steps are executed in addition to a film deposition step. These steps include ones that are traditionally executed under atmospheric pressure. In contrast, as discussed above a predetermined time period is spent to provide the vacuum environment. Accordingly, when, in addition to the film deposition step executed under the vacuum environment, the steps executed under atmospheric pressure are further included in the manufacturing processes for such an element, temporarily removing the element from the element manufacturing apparatus requires spending a great deal of time in replacing an internal environment of the element manufacturing apparatus with atmospheric air or evacuating the inside of the element manufacturing apparatus. To avoid occurrence of such a time, it is desirable that as many as possible of the element manufacturing steps be executed inside the element manufacturing apparatus. This enables reduction in the time and costs needed to obtain one element.
Examples of steps other than film deposition include the step of removing an organic semiconductor layer positioned on an auxiliary electrode. Patent Document 1, for example, describes such a step. When another electrode disposed on the organic semiconductor layer is a common electrode of a thin-film form, the auxiliary electrode is disposed to suppress a location-by-location difference in magnitude of a voltage drop developed across the common electrode. That is to say, connecting the common electrode to the auxiliary electrode at various locations allows the voltage drop across the common electrode to be reduced. Meanwhile, since the organic semiconductor layer is generally provided over an entire region of the substrate, the above-discussed removing step for removing the organic semiconductor layer on the auxiliary electrode needs to be executed to connect the common electrode to the auxiliary electrode.
A known method for removing the organic semiconductor layer present on an auxiliary electrode is by irradiating the organic semiconductor layer with light such as laser light. In this case, the organic semiconductor material constituting the organic semiconductor layer will be dispersed during the removal of the organic semiconductor layer by ablation. To prevent contamination with the organic semiconductor material that has been dispersed, therefore, it is preferable that the substrate be covered with some kind of material and then hermetically sealed in an appropriate manner. Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a method in which first a counter substrate is overlaid upon the substrate under a vacuum environment to constitute an overlay substrate, next while a space between the counter substrate and the substrate is being maintained under the vacuum atmosphere, the overlay substrate is taken out from the vacuum environment into the atmospheric air, and after this operation, the organic semiconductor layer is irradiated with laser light. On the basis of a differential pressure between the vacuum atmosphere and the atmospheric air, this method enables the counter substrate to be brought into strong and close contact with the substrate, thereby enabling reliable prevention of contamination with the organic semiconductor material that has been dispersed.